Theatrical device for producing illusory effects



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

[N0 Model.) I

A; LAKE. THEATRIGAL DEVICE FOR PRODUCING ILLUSORY EFFECTS.

No. 546,927. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

.No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. LAKE.

v THBATRIOAL DEVICE FOR PRODUCING ILLUSORY EFFECTS. No. 546,927. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

'Fjci 2. FIC.6.

WiZnewesGZiWi ANDREW B GRAHAM PnoToLnrm WASHINGTON DC.

' ra'rns ATENT rion.

AMARIAH LAKE, OF PLEASANTVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,927, dated September 24, 1895.

Application filed geptember 14, 1894. Serlal1io.522,970- (No model.)

T at whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, AMARIAH LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pleasantville, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Theatrical Devices for P rod ucing Illusory Effects, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide apparatus whereby various illusory effects, mainly of a marine or submarine character, may be attained, the nature of the invention and the special features upon which the claims are based being too fully set forth hereinafter to need any extended reference thereto in this portion of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general longitudinal sectional view illustrating apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View on the line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a View, partly in plan and partly in section, on the line to to, Fig. 1. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are views of different elements of the apparatus, and Fig. 9 is a side elevation illustrating a modified construction of part of the apparatus.

The Whole apparatus is contained within an outer casing 1,of appropriate size,having the door 2 for ingress and the door 3 for egress, and suitably secured within this casing at a point below the level of the ingress-door 2 is a tank 4., partially filled with water and having in it two wells 5 and 6, extending upward above the level of the water. The well 6 may be closed at the bottom, butthe well 5 is open at the bottom and communicates with that portion of the inclosure which is beneath the tank 4.

Upon suitable trunnions 7 at opposite sides of the tank is mounted a box or casing 8, which is preferably provided both at front and rear ends with doors 9, and this box or casing is connected by a rod 10 to a crank'pin on a disk 11, mounted in suitable hearings on the top of the casing 1 and driven by means of belts and pulleys or other equivalent gear- 4 ing from a pulley 12 on a suitable hand or a rail-support 13, upon which are adapted to run rollers 14, carried by a conveyance 15 in the form of a boat, an endless belt 16, operated in any suitable manner from outside the casing 1, being employed to move this conveyance into and from the box or casing 8. The conveyance 15 has an open front end with a hood 17, which should be provided with a sliding cover like an ordinary companion-way, this hood, when the conveyance 15 is drawn into the casing 8, inclosing the upper projecting end of the well 5, to which access can be had from the said conveyance 15 on removing the cover of the hood. The well 6 has a pivoted top or hood 18, which is so formed as to represent a boat and is large enough for the reception of. the person of a man or boy. The well 6 contains the representation of a marine monster 19 with open gaping mouth, this representation being mounted upon a spring 20 and being retained in position within the well by means of a catch 21, which can be withdrawn by the occupant of the pivoted hood 18 when desired, said catch having a cord or wire 22 running up to a point within convenient reach of said person.

The interior of the upper portion of the easing 1, as well as the interior walls of the box or casing 8, are painted with appropriate scenic representations, and the ends of said box or casing 8 and the inner sides of the doors 9 may likewise have scenic representations thereon.

To a suitable stand 23 in that portion of the tank 4 which is beyond the box or casing 8 are hung the lower ends of levers 24., the upper ends of which carry an open-bottomed shell 25, Fig. 6, so shaped and painted on the outside as to constitute the representation of a whale, the shell 25 having in the top an opening closed on the inside by an inwardlyswinging valve 26, and said shell having near the head or front end of the same a depending tube 27 open at both ends. The levers 2 4 are connected by a rod 28, and from one of said levers a rod 29 extends to the outside of the casing 1, so that by pushing inward upon said red the shell 25 can be caused to rise above the level of water in the tank t, while by pulling outward upon the rod said shell can be caused to sink below the level of the Lil water, the head portion emerging and descending first, owing to the fact that the front lever 24 has a quicker movement than the other, due to the fact that the rod 28 is connected to said frontlever at apoint closer to the fulcrum than the connection with the rear lever.

On the rise of the shell 25 the valve 26 opens and permits air to enter the same; but on the descent of the shell this air is trapped in the upper portion of the shell and becomes compressed so as to cause the forcing of ajet of water, or water mixed with air, through the tube 27, thus imitating the spouting of a natural whale.

To the tail end of the shell 25 is pivoted the representation of a tail 28, which normally occupies the horizontal position shown in Fig. (3, but when the shell 25, after having been lifted above the level of water in the tank, is caused to descend in the same the buoying action of the water causes the tail to swing upwardly so that the whale in descending apparently dives head first, as the natural whale does in sounding.

Leading downward from the well 5 is a flight of steps 30, which communicates through a passage 31 with the interior of a casing 32, to which access can also be had from another passage 33, said passages 31 and 33 meeting each other at the entrance to the casing 32, and either passage being capable of being closed by means of a swinging door 34:, hinged at the meeting-point of the two passages, said door having a catch 35, which is adapted to engage with a catch 36 on a sliding door37, which closes the entrance to the casing 32, so that supposing the door 34: be adjusted normally, so as to close the passage 33, the catch will, on the closing of the door 37, be engaged by the catch 36, and on again opening the door 37 the door 3t will be moved so as to close the passage 31 and open the passage 33, this movement being effected without the cognizance of the occupants of the room or apartment within the casing 32. The casing 32 has in its opposite sides window-openings, and mounted on the outside of the casing are slides 38, adapted to move up and down across these windowopenings, each slide having a rack 39, engaging with a pinion 40 on a shaft 41, which is rotated, when desired, in any suitable manneras, fol-instance, by means ofa beltand-pulley connection with the pulley 12.

On the shaft ll are sprocket-wheels 42 for the reception of chains 43, which pass over guide-pulleys 44: at top and bottom of the casing 32 and through openings in the said top and bottom of the casing, the chains extending down through the central portion of the room or apartment within the casing, as shown in Fig. 3.

The casing 32 is pivoted upon trunnions 45 at the bottom and is connected by a link 46 to a crank-pin upon a disk 47, which is suitably rotatedas, for instance, by means of pulley-and-belt connection with a drum or pulley 48 on a hand or power actuated shaft 40.

The passage 33 leads to a casing 50, pivotally mounted at 5L and susceptible of receiving rocking motion by means of a link 52 from a crank-pin on a disk 53, likewise driven by belts and pulleys from a pulley or drum on the shaft 49. The casing is so formed internally as to represent a rocky cave or grotto, and in said casing is a bridge 5t, preferably mounted at the ends upon springs 55, passing through the bottom of the casing and resting upon a support beneath the same, the bottom of the casing being provided with a tank 56 for containing water, rocks, shells, and pebbles, or the like. From the casing 50 a short platform 57 leads to one platform of a structure 58 representing a car, another platform 59 leading from the opposite platform of the car to the exit-door At each side of the car structure 58 is an upright frame 00, and to these frames the car is hung by means of obliquely-arranged trunnions 61, so that when the car is rocked it will have a combined longitudinal and lateral tilt imparted to it as though being rocked by the waves of the sea. The tilting of the car structure 58 is effected by a link 62, connected to a crank-pin on a disk 63, driven by suitable belts and pulleys froma pulley or drum on the shaft 49. \VindoW-openings may be formed in either or both sides of the car 58, and adjacent to each set of window-openings is adapted to rotate an annular disk 01, mounted in suitable bearings at the upper ends of the frames 60 and rotated by belts and pulleys from some convenient shaft of the operating mechanism. That side of the disk which faces the windows of the car has painted upon it, by preference, scenic represeutations-such, for instance, as sea-weeds, rocks, or lishes-as seen through the water.

Between the side of the car and the inner face of the disk (St is arranged a connected chain of plates 65, which are mounted upon drums 66, having shafts adapted to slide in slotted bars 67, projecting upwardly from the floor 68, the rising and falling movement of the drums being effected by the expansion or contraction of toggle-levers 69, connected by a rod and operated by a lever 71 through the medium of a link 72. When the drums are lowered, the plates (55 are below the level of the windows in the car structure 58 and the belt 73, which drives one of the drums, hangs slack, as shown in Fig.1; but when the drums are raised the plates 65 are brought into line with the windows of the car structure, and at the same time the belt 73 is tightened, so as to impart movement to said plates, which, by preference, have painted on their faces adjoining the car scenic representations-such, for instance, as the streets and houses of a village or town. In place of the single large disk 64 a number of smaller and independentlydriven diskssuch, for instance, as represented at 74 in Fig. 9may be employed, the use of the single large disk, however, being preferred in all cases where there is room for it.

In operating the illusion apparatus described the passengers enter through the doorway 2 the conveyance 15, while the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the doors 9 at the front of the box or casing 8 being then opened the conveyance is drawn into the said box or casing until its hood 17 incloses the top of the well 5. The doors 9 at the front of the casing 8 being then closed the boat is apparently in a land-locked cove or bay, and thebox or casing 8 is then vibrated, so as to cause the painted sides of said casing and the stones or rocks which may be secured to said painted sides to enter and leave the water in the tank 4, thus subjecting the passengers to the illusion that the boat itself is rocking and that the waves are rising upon and receding from the rocky shores surrounding the boat. After this illusion has been continued for a time the doors 9 at the rear of the casing 8 are opened, so as to expose to view the expanse of water beyond said casing 8 and the fisherman in the boat 18. The whale 25 may then be caused to rise above the water and dive down again, spouting as itdescends The fisherman then trips the catch which retains the representation of the sea-monster in the well 6, and, on the rise of the same under the influence of the spring 20, is apparently overcome with fear and falls over backward into the open jaws of the monster, the representation of the latter being of such size as to comfortably hold the person enacting the part of the fisherman. The added weight causes the shell 19 to descend in the well,and as it descends the fisherman pulls over on top of the well the hood or cover 18, thus apparently overturning his boat in falling out of the same. The cover of the hood or companion-way 17 being then removed the passengers are permitted to descend the stairway 30, the surface of the water in the tank 4 being exposed to View as they pass down the upper portion of the stairway into the room or apartment within the casing 82, which is apparently the cabin of a boat, and the door 37 being closed the casing 32 may be rocked on its trunnions and the slides 88 and chains 43 operated so as to subject the passengers to the illusion that they are sinking through the waves. When these movements are discontinued, the door 37 is again opened, carrying with it the door 34, and opening the passageway 33, through which the passengers walk into the cave orgrotto 50, to which rocking motion may be imparted, so as to cause the water in the tank 56 to fiow back and forth over the rocks, shells, or the like contained in said tank. The walls, ceiling, and door of the passage 33 may have painted upon them representations of submarine scenery, or the sides of the passage may form the Walls of aquaria containing living sea-plants, fishes, 850. The passengers crossing the bridge 54 are subject to the illusion that the bridge itself is rocking and swaying instead of the casing 50, and this illusion is enhanced by the fact that the bridge itself can have a slight tipping or tilting movement, owing to the springs upon which it is supported. The passengers on leaving the cave or grotto enter the car 58, which is then caused to rock upon the trunnion 61, while at the same time the disks (it or 74: are caused to rotate, thus subjecting the passengers to the illusion that the car is moving forward and is being rocked aboutby the waves. As the rocking movement is stopped, the plates are raised into line with the windows of the car and are at the same time caused to move, so as to give the passengers the impression that the carts now on the land and is entering a town or village, the motion of the plates 65 being gradually arrested and then stopped, whereupon the passengers leave the car and pass over the platform 59 and out through the exit-doors 3. Instead of providing the shell 25, representing the whale, with a depending spouting-tube 27, a simple spouthole may be formed in the upper portion of the shell, at the head end of the same, so that as the shell is lowered in the water the compressed air will escape through this spouthole in the form of a jet, which will carry wafor up with it.

By means of the apparatus above described and by resorting to the illusory devices constituting said apparatus I am enabled within a limited space to create in the mind of a passenger the illusion of travel on, through, and under the water to great distances, the trip being enlivened by various incidents of amusing character.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Paxent- 1. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a water tank, a conveyance in the form of a boat movable therein, and a movable box or easing into which said conveyance can enter, said box or casing being combined with means for rocking the same, substantially as specified.

2. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a water tank, a conveyance in the form of a boat movable therein, and a movable box or casing into which the conveyance can be drawn, said box or casing having on the inside at and near the water level representations of rocks or stones, and being combined with means for rocking it, whereby said representations of rocks or stones can be caused to enter and leave the water, substantially as specified.

3. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a water tank, a conveyance in the form of a boat movable in said tank, and a vibratable box or easing into which said conveyance can be drawn, said casing being provided with doors which can be opened for the entrance of the conveyance, and closed after the same has entered the casing, substantially as specified.

4. An illusion apparatus in which are combinedawater tank, a conveyance in the form of a boat movable in said tank, and a vibratable box or easing into which said conveyance can be drawn, said box or casing having at the forward end doors which can be opened to expose that portion of the tank beyond the casing, substantially as specified.

5. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a water tank and a well extending up directly through the water in the tank, and having a stairway therein, the surface of the water in the tank being exposed to view from the upper portion of said stairway, substantially as specified.

6. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a water tank, a well extending up through the water therein, a stairway within said well and a conveyance in the form of a boat movable in said tank, said conveyance having a hooded opening for receiving the projecting portion of the well, substantially as specified.

7. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a water tank, a shell fashioned to represent a whale, and levers connecting the shell with the tank, a link connecting said levers at different distances from their fulcra, and means for operating the levers, whereby the shell may be raised above or lowered beneath the surface of the water in the tank, substantially as specified.

8. In an illusion apparatus, the combination of a water tank, a shell open at the bottom and formed on the outside to represent a whale, and having a spout hole in the head portion thereof, with means whereby said shell is mounted so that it can be caused to rise above or sink beneath the surface of the water in the tank, the air being compressed in the upper portion of the shell as the latter sinks in the water, so as to cause a discharge through the spout hole, substantially as specified.

9. In an illusion apparatus, the combination of a water tank, with a shell open at the bottom, and formed on the outside to represent a whale, said shell having in the head portion a spout hole with depending tube, and means for mounting the shell so as to cause it to rise above or sink beneath the surface of the water in the tank, air being compressed in the upper portion of the shell as the latter sinks, substantially as specified.

10. In an illusion apparatus, the combination of a water tank, with a shell open at the bottom and formed on the outside so as to represent a whale, said shell having a spout hole in the head portion, and in the upper portion an opening with valve opening inwardly, and means for mounting said shell so as to cause it to rise above or sink beneath the surface of the water in the tank, substantially as specified.

11. In an illusion apparatus, the combination of a water tank, with a shell formed on the outside to represent a Whale, and mounted in the tank so as to be caused to rise above or sink beneath the surface of the water therein, said shell having pivoted at the end portion of the same, the representation of a tail in such manner that the latter is free to swing upwardly as the shell is drawn below the water, substantially as specified.

12. In an illusion apparatus, the combination of a water tank, a well extending above the level of the water therein, and a shell contained in said well and formed to represent a head with open month,said shell being adapted to rise in the well so as to appear above the top of the same, substantially as specified.

13. In an illusion apparatus, the combination of a water tank, a well extending above the level of water therein, a shell movable vertically in said well, and formed to represent a head with open mouth, and a pivoted hood or cover for closing said well, substantially as specified.

14. In an illusion apparatus, the combination of a water tank, a well extending above the top of the water therein, a shell mounted upon a spring in said well and capable of being projected above the top of the well, and a catch for retaining the shell when the latter is pushed down into the well, substantially as specified.

15. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a water tank, having a well projecting above the level of Water therein and containing a stairway, a conveyance in the form of a boat movable in said tank, and a casing below the tank to which access may be had from the lower end of the well stairway, said casing being combined with means for imparting rocking movement thereto, substantially as specified.

16. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a water tank having a well projecting above the level of water therein and containing a stairway, a conveyance in the form of a boat movable in said tank, and a casing below the tank to which access may be had from the lower end of the well stairway, said casing being combined with means for causing the illusion of vertical movement, substantially as specified.

17. An illusion apparatus in which are combined a casing or compartment having converging inclosed passages and a door hung at the point of convergence of the passages and adapted to close either of the same, substantially as specified.

18. The combination of a casing or compartment having a doorway provided with a sliding door, converging passages leadingjo said doorway, a door pivoted at the point where the passages meet and capable of swinging so as to close either passage and catches whereby said door is connected to and moved by the sliding door of the casing, substantially as specified.

.19. The combination of the casing having window openings therein, movable devices outside of said window openings to cause the illusive effect of movement of the casing and a rope or chain having'one run passing through the casing and 'the other run on the outside of the same to cause an additional illusion of movement of said casing, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

20. The combination of a water tank, with a room or apartment having its walls extending beneath the surface of the water in the tank, and means for rocking said room or apartment, substantially as specified.

21. The combination of the casing inclosing a room or apartment, with means for producing the illusion of vertical movement of said casing, said means comprising slides guided on the outside of the casing so as to move past window openings therein, racks secured to said slides and a shaft having pinions engaging with said racks, substantially as specified.

22. The combination in an illusion apparatus, of a casing, having openings at opposite sides, a bridge across said casing from one opening to the other and mounted so as to be free from rigid connection with the casing and means for rocking said casing, substantially as specified.

23. The combination in an illusion apparatus, of a casing having openings at opposite sidcs,with a bridge mounted upon springs having a support below said casing, said bridge serving as a means for crossing the casing from one opening to the other and means for rocking the casing, substantially as specified.

24. The combination in an illusion apparatus, of the casing having openings in opposite sides, a bridge serving as a means for crossing said casing from one opening to the other, said bridge being so mounted as to be free from rigid connection with the casing, a Water tank contained in said casing and means for rocking the casing so as to cause the water to flow back and forth in said tank, substantially as specified.

25. The combination in an illusion apparatus, of the casing in the form of acar having window openings in the side of the same, with one or more disks mounted so as to rotate in proximity to said window openings to create the illusion of forward movement of the car, substantially as specified.

26. The combination in an illusion apparatus, of the structure representing a car and having openings in the side thereof, with two traveling surfaces arranged one in front of the other at the side of the car and means for raising and lowering the inner traveling surface so as to bring it into line with the window openings or drop it below the same, substantially as specified.

' 27. The combination in illusion apparatus, of a structure representing a car and having openings in the side thereof, with an endless chain of plates, drums carrying the same and means for raising and lowering said drums, said means comprising connected pairs of toggle levers and vertical guides for the shafts of the drums, substantially as specified.

28. The combination in illusion apparatus, of a structure representing a car and having openings in the side thereof, an endless chain of plates mounted upon vertically adjustable drums at the side of the car and driving mechanism comprising a belt and pulleys so arranged that when the drums are lowered the belt will be slack and when said drums are raised the belt will be tightened, substantially as specified.

29. The combination in illusion apparatus, of a structure representing a car, opposite frames, obliquely disposed pivots or trunnions whereby the car structure is hung .to said frames and means for rocking said car structure, substantially as specified. I

30. The combination in illusion apparatus, of two sets of illusion apparatus, one contained in a water tank and the other in a room or apartment below said tank, with a well extending up directly through the water in the tank and serving as a means of communication between the tank apartment and the apartment below the same, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AMARIAH LAKE.

Witnesses:

JosHUA LAKE, HANNIE LAKE. 

